How to Treat Skin Boils with Baking Soda

Annabelle LeeUpdated April 17, 2017

A boil is a skin infection that starts as a red area on the skin and becomes a hard lump. After about a week pus starts to develop and the lump gets larger and more tender. The pus continues to accumulate and the lump gets larger and more painful as time goes by. Once a pocket of pus begins to develop on top of the lump, it has developed into a severe infection. Treating a boil with baking soda in the early stages will usually keep it from developing into a condition that needs to be treated by a doctor.

Place a small amount of baking soda in a bowl. Mix just enough water in to make a paste. Blend until smooth.

Apply the paste mixture onto the boil and the surrounding area.

Soak a cloth in warm water and wring it out to create a warm compress. Place the compress over the boil and baking soda paste.

Leave the compress in place for 10 minutes. Check to see if the boil is draining.

Repeat the process for up to two hours as necessary. If the boil is still not draining you should contact a physician before the infection becomes severe.

Warning

If you start running a fever, red streaks are going out from the boil, the pain becomes severe or the boil will not drain with the baking soda poultice you need to seek the care of your physician.

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About the Author

Annabelle Lee has been working in the journalism field since 1990. She was a teacher and yearbook adviser for four years and holds two associate degrees from her local community college where she currently teaches computer classes. Lee also writes for a local newspaper and was a proofreader for McGraw-Hill.